Kosovo's future hinges on dialogue with Serbia

DW: The EU released a new progress report on Western Balkan states. What are for you countries that are leading in this process?

Johannes Hahn: I have to admit that I don't like the term “lead”, because it may mean something else, but I believe you mean both Serbia and Montenegro. They often call them leaders because both states have already started negotiations with us. We have a lot of work ahead of us as a whole. But looking back at a longer time segment, you see that the states of the Western Balkans have focused heavily on this process.

Where do you see progress in detail?

There are advances in the area of rule of law, in fighting corruption, in economic development. What we would like to see would be a stable success story in certain sectors. So I prefer to talk about a process rather than negotiations: it's not about finishing various points and saying: We've adopted this or that law. The important thing is that they eventually apply. And here we want to see more progress in fighting corruption, as well as stronger, more independent and more transparent justice. One example is Albania: there adopted a very broad reform of justice and are now in the implementation phase.

A number of problems continue to exist in the Western Balkans region. Which country do you have the largest reserves for or for which countries?

I would not talk about reservations, but it is not a secret that Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to represent yet further a major challenge, because the situation there is even more complicated than in neighbouring states. As for Kosovo: we should see how dialogue with Serbia will work; for Serbia and Kosovo an agreement is needed with judicial power for bilateral relations. But just about Kosovo, we also know to appreciate that the border conflict with Montenegro was finally resolved after two and a half years, and that is clearly in the European perspective (of these states red).

As for the conflicts in the region: how optimistic are you that we will have an agreement between Macedonia and Greece (in the dispute over the name red.)?

I am optimistic that in the coming weeks there will be a deal. I think both countries have achieved a new era in their relationship. Even the relationship between Skopje and Sofia has improved, these states have agreed to a neighbourly agreement, for which years of negotiations were held. That's why I think the new Skopje government does a good job. I also welcome that the opposition in Macedonia has taken a more constructive course, has returned to parliament and participated in political life, especially in terms of the upper goal: the European perspective.

When we think of rising nationalism in Serbia and of this country's close relations with Hungary, where there are antidemocratic trends: are you not afraid that with the membership of the Western Balkan states The EU burdens itself with even more problems, which it is unable to deal with?

For one thing, both in the region and outside it, it has been acknowledged that tensions and difficulties in the Western Balkans can be overcome only when all parts of this region are later or later become EU members. The overall situation can only improve if there is a European perspective. That's why we all see it as a process. That means, these countries should testify that their political culture is changing in a positive direction. Here you are part of being not nationalist or populist, but contributing to the biggest European project.

Do we not need stronger tools on the European side to exert pressure in case of need?

Our strongest tool is negotiations. I always say that we have some kind of influence before the start of membership negotiations, too much influence during negotiations, and we almost have no influence after a state's EU membership. So we've learned our lessons: the whole process during negotiations is very important to us. For example, in Croatia's case, this process lasted between seven and eight years. So now it is important to see whether a country really makes sustainable progress in the right direction.

Is the year 2025 a realistic goal for EU membership of Western Balkan states?

On the political level, it sounds too distant, it even seems. That meant that negotiations were closed by 2023. It's basically done, but it's a very ambitious goal.

Johannes Hahn is November 1, 2014 The EU Commissioner for European Community Policy and for Enlargement Negotiations. /dw/.